Apparatus for clearing obstructions from drain and other pipes.



W. HADDUUK. APPARATUS FUR CLEARING OBSTRUGTIONS FROM DRAIN AND OTHERPIPES.

APPLXOATIOH FILED HAB. 8, 1909.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

fir/54.1.07

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WORCESTER HADDOCK, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEAS- SIGNMENTS, OF ONE-FOURTH TO R. JOHN BERNE AND ONE-HALF TO HENRYVOLZ,

BOTH OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOB CLEARING OBSTBUCTIONS FROM DRAIN AND OTHER PIPES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Application filed March 8, 1909. Serial No. 482,144.

1'0 all whom, 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVoncEsTER HADDOCK, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Iinprovenients inApparatus for Clearing Obstructions from Drain and other Iipcs, of whichthe following is a spccilication.

rl"he several features of my invention and the various advantagesresulting from their use conjointly or otherwise will be apparent fromthe following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification. and inwhich similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts,-I`igure l represents a View partly in elevation and partly in section ofa mechanism embodying my invention. In this view the section is avertical central one. Fig. 2 isa view in perspective of a receptaclel'or various substances, which may bc employed in connection with thecleansing of said .sinh and other drain pipes. l"ig. 3 is a view partlyin elevation and partly in section of my improved device when combinedwith my improved receptacle shown in Fig. 2, the whole applied to theexit hole of a basin or sink. The section is a central vertical one.Figli is a vertical central section of a construction containing certainfeatures of my invention, one of which is somewhat modified for use, inconnection with a different kind of handle. 5 is a. vertical centralsection of a device lllustrating the preferred means for adapting onesize of conduit used with my invention to other sizes of conduits.

I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail.

A indicates a hemispherical cu of elastic material, and thereforepreferab y made of rubber. In the central part of the upper end of thiscu A I form a hole A. I provide a centra shank B constructed as follows:This shank has an annular flange B, preferably quite broad, as shown,and extending in a radial direction from the axis of the shank. Abovethis flange B is a neck B' of much shorter diameter. Above this neck Bathe shank is enlaiFed, its diameter being longer than that o the neck B.

The diameter of the hole A2 is much less than that of the neck B.Consequently when the shank B is inserted through this hole A: in thecup, as will be the ease. in manufacture, the edge of the hole A2 of'therubber cup A will fold or lie up against the neck B3, and till thisspace around the neel: B3. The enlargement li* of the shank has aperipheral screw thread 135. ()n this enlargement is screwed a sleeve Cprovided interiorly with a screw thread C2. the latter engaging thescrew thread 155 of the said enlargement Bt. This sleeve is providedwith outwardly extending arms or handles C, preferably two in number.snhstaniiallv as shown i11 Fig. l. .\bove the enlargement B4, the shankil again diminishedin size and this diminished Vportion l5 is providedwith an exterior screw thread il". 'This pon tion B of said shank lireceives the lower end of a hose or other pipe l). which will usuallylbe flexible. rhis lower end ol' pipe I) is screwed b v its seri-w threadl!" onto the "I shank portion ll: here the pipe l) i` oi' rubber, thescrew thread l" will operate to enter the rubber o1' the pipe l) anti noinlerior screw thread on the pipe D will be nec essary. The passagewayBa extends through the shank B for the whole length of it. The lowerportion of this passageway B5 has a screw thread B9.

I provide a stopple E, exteriorly screw threaded at E2,which stopple canbe screwed into the screw threaded aperture B, of passageway Bs. 'henthus applied, this sto )le E will entirely close the passageway Iii.

`he stoppie E is provided with means for enabling it to be rotated forscrewing the stopple into the shank B or unscrewing it therefrom.Preferred means for this purpose are the thumb pieces E, E", respectivel located at opposite sides of the sto ple E. he mode in which thisfeature o mv invention operates is as follows: The cu is located overthe exit hole of the sii or basin, and which hole is in connection withthe drain pipe, and the ed e of this cup is `on the Hoor of the basin orsink, and outside of the said hole. In Fig. 3, the bottom S of a sink orbasin is shown. The mouth of the exit. pipe orapassage .S is usuallycovered b a perforate floor Sa whose perforations are too small to allowlarge things to enter the hole S2. After the cup A has been thusproperly located, a forcible downward pressure 1s applied to the handlesC3, C, and the cup A 1s quite a little flattened, and some of the airwithin it is expelled. This pressure on the handles C3, C, is nowreleased. Thereupon the cup will expand and suck the contents of thedrain p1 e upward, and loosen them where jamme together. This action ofthe cup A by alternately pressing it down by the said handles and thenallowing it to rise, is continued until the contents of the drain pipehave been loosened. The action essentially consists in forcing saidcontents of the drain pipe down and out of the said pipe by means of theair compressed when the cup is pressed downward, this compressed airressing in turn upon the contents of the rain pipe. The cup takes moreor less fresh air under its edge as pressure upon it is removed from thehandles, and this additional air is again forced downward into the drainpipe when the air is again compressed. If water is standing in the sinkor bowl to a moderate depth when the air is compressed, the air will beforced out of the cup and out and down into the drain pipe and againstthe contents of said pipe, and in this way will assist in forcing outthe contents of the drain pipe. In order to prevent the cup A frommerely being depressed at the middle portion, I provide a flat disk A".This disk has a central aperture of the diameter of the opening in thesleeve C, and the disk is fitted to place resting on the upper surfaceof the cup and then the sleeve C is screwed down. lVhen the handles C3are depressed, the disk is brought to bear on the top surface of thecup, and a much more effective action of the cup is attained. To carryolf those contents of the drain pi )e which clog it, I then remove thestopple l), again place the cup over the exit hole S2. I connect the uper end of the pipe D, namely the part F w ich is a cou ling, with afaucet G. Openin the faucet I cause the water to flow rapi ly throughthe pipe D, and its shank B into the cup A and thence through the holeS2, thus carrying olf the debris and foreign substances that haveclogged the said exit pipe.

It frequently happens that it often becomes desirable to remove from thedrain pipe, grease or fats, and the like that. have odged therein, andagain it becomes desirable to disinfect the drain pipe and its contents.One feature of my invention provides for effecting such results. Thisfeature is as follows: provide a cup or cage H, preferably in the formof a truncated cone.

he side H2 of this cage is preferably imperforate. The bottom H3 of thiscage is perforate and is preferably a wire screen cloth. The top `ofthis cage isy provided with a central opening ll, in alinemont with thepassageway B5. The edge portion ll ol` this openlng ll* is not sharp,but round, so as not to cut the rubber of the cup.

In application, the substance that is to be applied to accomplish theremoving ol' the grease, fat, etc., or to disinfect the efxil pipe, 1splaced in the cage ll. through the openingy H. The cage ll is thenlocated over the exit drain hole. The cup is located as shown in Fig. 3over thc cage and held down thereupon, and upon the bottom S of the sinkor basin. rlhe edge lli of the openinjLl H* abuis against they rubber ofthe cup beyond the rim B2. The upper end ol' the pipe. l) is connectedto a faucet as hereinbeforc mentioned, and water from the faucet iscaused to flow down through the shank l and into the cage. llere itdissolves the article therein and carrie` it down into the drain pipe.where it performs the desired function. For example. lrc in a granulatedshape ll,` so that it cannot pass through the cage while in a solidstate. is pnt in the rae'e H. The water flowing down through the cup andthe cage dissolve.` the I ve and earl-ies` it directly down to thegrease or i'at in the drain pipe. There the grease or fat is ein ordissolved hy the l \e. and ron-edinunl) disappears.

ln case a disinfectant. :t`4 sulfate ol iron. or chlorid of lime. ete..is located in the cage. the water lio\\'iuf |r down through ilushank andthe cup and the rage dissolves it and carries it into the pipe anddistributes the disinfectant upon und alongr the surtir-e of the exitpipe.

In Fig. ,l there is illustrated a oloditied form of one of the featuresvot' in r de\ ire. In this Fig. l, the construction ot lhe cup and of theshank and of the stopple are substantially the same as in Figs. l and 2lalreadyy described. with the exception that there is no passagewaydirectly through the shank, and a handle J is secured to the shank in asocket provided for that purpose. The lower end )ortion of this handleis prel erably prov1ded with a ferrule J 2, and the preferred means ofuniting the handle to the shank B is by forming the lower end of theferrule with a diminished extension or end J3, and on the periphery ofthis extension 3 I form a screw thread J4. Upon the socket of the shank,I form a screw thread B12. The extension J3 is screwed into this screwthreaded end ortion B12 of the shank and is thereby held firmly inposition. This handle is obviously usable in various ways, among whichit may be mentioned that it can be used to compress the cup A in themanner already described.

In connection with the device as thus far described, I employl a waterinlet passageway connected to t e passageway B3 of the shank, preferablysubstantially as follows:

lll)

A curved pipe K, having a straight end K2, l larged portion and adaptedto compress the is provided with a I ieripheral screw thread K. Anopening B in the side ot' the shank B is provided with a screw thread B,and the straight portion I"' of the pipe K is screwed thereinsubstantiallj.' as shown in Fig. l. The other end of this pipe K isprovided with a coupling piece K of the usual form, and this is dal)7connected Willi a flexible or other pipe, which latter is in turnadapted to be connected to the faucet, hydrant or other water supply,and thereby receive water directly therefrom, which water Hows throughthe pipe K and thence through the shank and tiushes out the sink holeand drain pipe. It can also be used to cai-rv7 the lye or disinfectantand the like located in the cage Il through the sink hole into the drainpipe, substantially as hereinbefore described. The passage K can beclosed b v a suitable stopplc E4, one torni ot which is shown in Fig. l.Ot' course, as is well understood in the art of plumbing, the coupling Fmay, without change, be adapted to thc ends ot variously sized faucets bv incans of a proper sized reducer, one size of which shown andindicated by the character D3. This reducer is usually formed ot' rubberpipe. ln Fig. 5, the adjacent end (l2 of a i'aucet is shown, insertedinto the rcducer DE The rubber pipe l). reducer D and faucet (if are allheld and clanipcdt tightlvY together h v nicans of a clainp D4, ot' wellknown construction.

'l`hc construction shown in Vig. 4 is of priinarv advantage and utilityin the, opening up ot' thc conduits connected to the bowls of waterclosets. The rubber cup whose lowet' portion A is i'ornied so as tocontact with the exit orifice of the bowl, is passed down into thesaine. and the handle J moved up and down vertically, thereb vreciprocating the cup and causing it to alternately force air forwardand down through the exit conduit, and then as the cup rises, suck onthe said conduit. These movements of the air against and through thecontents of the said exit conduit operate to loosen the contents lod edin the said conduit.

lherever the word sink is used in the claims, it. is to be understood asincluding other drain pipes of analogous location.

What I claim as new, and of my invention and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. In a device for cleansing sink pipes, an elastic cup, a shank havin apassageway through it, this shank icing extended through the top portionof the cup, a stopple adapted to close that end of the passageway withinthe cup, an annular flan e of the shank below the adjacent top portionof the cup, a disk on the shank next above the cup, an enlar ed portionof the shank above this loose dis, and rovided with a peri heral screwthread, a slleeve screwed upon t is enrubber cap between the disk andthe annular lange, arms extended from the sleeve. an upper end portionot' the shank provided with a screw thread and a tlcxihlc pipe or hoseconnected thereto and adapted to be connected to a faucet. substantiallyas and for the purposes lspcciticd.

2. In a device i'or cleansing sink holes, the combination oi' a shank. ahandle connected thereto, a cup connected to the shank, the Shankprovided with a passageway and a pipe, in connection with the lshank,adapted to be connected to the faucet, and a stopple adapted to hcconnected to the shank and to close the passagewayv thereof` sulstantiallv as and tor the purposes` speciticd.

3. In a device for cleansing sink or drain pipes, a rubber cup, a shankonto which the said cup is tittcd. an annular tlange on the shank helowthe cup. :i device t'or con|prc sing the cup against thtl thinge. ahandle t'or depressing` the cup. and a cage. adapted to be within thecup. and having a perforated bottoni and an opt-n top. the openingl inthe top of the cage adapted to receive within it the said annular tlangeand pcrniit the cup itself to iiupinge again t the edge ol' thisl topopening ot the cage and lo inake a light joint therewith. the `shankhaving an inlet conduit opening` inzo thc top opening ot' the cage, andadapted to malt-c connection with a pipe for supplying water tu the`hunk. .suh- Stantiallv as and l'or the pui-poes `spcciticd.

4. ln a device tor cleansing sink pipes. an elastic cup. a \hank having:i p:|.'s:igevv.i v through it. the shank lining' extended through thctop portion ol: the cup. an annu lar tiange integral with the .shank andlocated below thc adjacent top portion ot' the cup, a disk on the shanknext above the cup. an enlarged portion on the shank above the diskprovided with a peripheral screw thread, thus leaving a diminishedportion or neck between the annular tiangc below and the enlarged screwthreaded portion above, the edge of the cup being received into therecess thus formed, a sleeve screwed upon the enlarged portion of theshank, arms on the shank, the shank adapted when screwed down tocompress the adjacent portion of the rubber cup between the disk and theannular Harige, and means for enabling the shank to connect with a pipefor introducing water into the cup, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

5. In a device for cleansing sink holes, a. rubber cup, a shank uponwhich the cup is mounted, radial arms for operatin the device secured tothe shank, a condint in the shank and a flexible connection therefor tosuppl Water to the inside of the cup, and a Stopp e for closingthe'conduit as desired.

6. In a device for cleansing sink holes, a rubber cup, means forcompressing the cup against the support; it is rested upon, a t the cupfor admitting Water thereto, and cage provided with :1 perforatedbottoni :md 1 nie-uns for closing Suid conduit, snhstunti-.illv an Opentop, the cage adapted to be within :is und for the purposes. specified.the cup and having un upper edge in the i \VORCES'1`ER HADDOCIQ Vicinityof the top opening of it, adapted i Attest: t0 make close Contact withthe interior sur Joux E. 1 `1'1m.\'1lzlcii, ffice of the cup, a conduitextended through l K. 5111'111.

